TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the Peoples Democratic Party as a two-faced bumbling party for accusing it and its presidential candidate, Muhammadu, Buhari, of being responsible for the insurgency in the country, despite “wasting the mandate given to them by Nigerians”.

On Monday, PDP insisted that APC and its leaders are responsible for the chaos in the northeast, alleging that Buhari’s statements in the past emboldened the insurgents and provoked attacks on citizens.

Reacting to the accusation through Lai Mohammed, its spokesman, APC argued that the same PDP preaching issue-based electioneering campaign had done nothing but mudslinging against the person of Buhari; his running mate Yemi Osinbajo; its leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and indeed the entire APC.

“What is issue-based in calling Buhari a ‘semi-literate jackboot’ as the PDP’s national secretary Wale Oladipo has incautiously said? Where are the issues in the pejorative reference to Osinbajo as an ‘acolyte’ of Tinubu, or in describing Tinubu himself as a puppeteer, as the PDP’s national publicity secretary Olisa Metuh has said in the most vitriolic and irresponsible statement that can ever be issued by the spokesman of a ruling party anywhere?

“Where are the issues contained in the statement by the serial bumbler and gormandiser called Doyin Okupe, who regards Buhari’s refusal to enrich himself from the public till as a vice rather than a virtue? Why would a ruling party go after the jugular of the opposition simply because it took its time in choosing its presidential running mate, especially since it did not run foul of any electoral law in doing so?

“The truth is that the Jonathan presidency and the PDP have no issues to canvass during the electioneering campaign for the 2015 general election because they have wasted the mandate given to them by Nigerians on the altar of unprecedented corruption, incomprehensible incompetence and cluelessness and perhaps the worst leadership ever inflicted on our country.”

The party expressed delight that Nigerians had taken it upon themselves to respond to the PDP, especially in the social media.

“Had these philistines been monitoring the reactions of Nigerians to the capricious comments they have been making against the person of Buhari and his party, they would have desisted. But then, they need to impress their paymasters. It seems the more they pour invective on our leaders and our party, the bigger their pay. We wish them luck in their ludicrous pursuit and shadow chasing,” it said.

The APC assured Nigerians that its campaign for next year’s elections would be based on how it planned to restore hope to citizens, how Nigeria can be made great again and how the comatose economy could be resuscitated, “for the benefit of all, rather than a few fat cats”.

“We are delighted at the increasing level of political awareness among Nigerians and their engagement in the political scene,” it said.

“We believe Nigerians are more interested in what the candidates for next year’s elections can offer rather than on how much mudslinging they can dish out. In the end, Nigerians, who are the real masters, will spot the difference!”